The British journal of nutritionMay 29, 2020

Social jetlag, eating habits, and body weight in US teenagers

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Apr 6, 2026

Abstract

Data from 3060 adolescents indicates that social jetlag may influence eating behaviors and BMI.

Greater social jetlag is linked to lower odds of breakfast consumption (OR = 0·92, P = 0·003) and lower odds of consuming fruits and vegetables (OR = 0·92, P = 0·009).
Increased social jetlag is associated with higher odds of eating fast food (OR = 1·18, P < 0·001) and consuming sweetened drinks (OR = 1·18, P < 0·001).
A positive association exists between social jetlag and BMI percentile, with a coefficient of b = 0·84 (P = 0·037) when adjusting for eating behaviors.
The association between social jetlag and BMI percentile is weakened after adjusting for race/ethnicity (b = 0·72, P = 0·072).
Ethnoracial differences may influence the relationship between social jetlag and BMI, suggesting a need for consideration in future research.

Simplified

There is a lack of research on associations of social jetlag with eating behaviours and obesity among adolescents. We examined the associations of social jetlag with eating behaviours and BMI in adolescents before and after adjustment for potential confounders. Self-report data were collected from 3060 adolescents (48·1 % female, mean age 15·59 (sd 0·77) years) from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. In regression models, social jetlag predicted odds of consumption of breakfast, fruits/vegetables, fast food and sweetened drinks and BMI percentile. Primary models adjusted for school night sleep duration, sex, age, household income and youth living arrangements; secondary models further adjusted for race/ethnicity. In fully adjusted models, greater social jetlag was associated with lower odds of consumption of breakfast (OR = 0·92, P = 0·003) and fruits/vegetables (OR = 0·92, P = 0·009) and higher odds of consumption of fast food (OR = 1·18, P < 0·001) and sweetened drinks (OR = 1·18, P < 0·001). Social jetlag was positively associated with BMI percentile after additional adjustment for eating behaviours (b = 0·84, P = 0·037), but this relationship was attenuated after adjustment for race/ethnicity (b = 0·72, P = 0·072). Ethnoracial differences in social jetlag may attenuate the association of social jetlag with BMI and should be considered in future studies of circadian misalignment, eating behaviours and obesity markers.

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Competing interests

CONFLICT OF INTEREST. The authors have indicated no financial conflicts of interest relevant to the current study. Dr. Lauren Hale receives an honorarium from the National Sleep Foundation for serving as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Sleep Health .

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Social jetlag, eating habits, and body weight in US teenagers

Abstract

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Funding

Competing interests

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Abstract

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